Daily Devotionals

Proverbs 2:1–2, 4–5

I recall as a boy, combing the shores of the Bay with my dad and looking for flounder. Just my dad and me, under the stars, guided by the bright glow of a Coleman lantern. It’s hard to describe the thrill I had when I’d happen upon the perfect seashell, pearly white from years of salt and surf pounding its hard exterior. To my delight, the gem glistened in the light, awaiting my eager grasp.

Matthew 28:18–20

Every so often it’s helpful to stop the annual merry-go-round, get off, look objectively, and think clearly. It’s not only helpful, it’s essential for the Christian. In this circus-like American lifestyle of ours, we tend to be deafened by the blare of our own band and blinded by the glare of our own lights shining—always shining—on the ring of our own choice.

That needs to change. We need to hear the voice of the Ringmaster as He raises His hand to stop the band:

Jude 1:20–23

I really feel sorry for Eutychus. It was bad enough for the fella to fall asleep in church while Paul was preaching ... he even fell out the window to his death three stories below! But then, of all things, Dr. Luke included the incident for all the world to read down through the centuries. Think of that! The only time Eutychus got his name in Scripture was when he died while sleeping in church:

1 Corinthians 16:13–14

I was living in Dallas when the Cowboys were formed into a National Football League team and Tom Landry was first introduced as the head mentor of that original, ragtag bag of unknown athletes. The first few years were bleak, to say the least. The crowds were sparse and instead of cheers, there were gripes and groans. One losing season led to another, and as you can imagine, the public soon made Landry the target of their savage verbal assaults.

2 Corinthians1:3–4

Of all the letters Paul wrote, 2 Corinthians is the most autobiographical. In it, the great apostle lifts the veil of his private life and allows us to catch a glimpse of his humanity. He writes transparently about his frailties and needs. You need to read that letter in one sitting to capture the moving emotion that surged through his soul, his anguish and tears, including his feelings of inadequacy. Yet in all of that, Paul learned the purpose in suffering. So that he could comfort others.

Psalm 90:10–12

Strange creatures roam the land these days. Being efficient, diligent, and productive, they are remarkably impressive ... but beneath the surface, they are suffering from a miserable malady. Compulsivelydriven with an obsessive desire to achieve, these creatures give themselves to labour like alcoholics give themselves to booze.

Workaholics. People who consistently overdo it.

2 Timothy 4:5–8

These days the words “Let’s just quit” are household expressions. A marriage gets shaky and hits a few hard jolts—“Let’s just quit.” When a personal dream or goal in life is met with hurdles and hardship—both goal and dream are soon forgotten. Before long we begin to resemble Rome in its last days—a magnificent shell of outward, impressive stature...devoid of inner strength, soft and mushy at the core, desperately lacking in discipline and determination.

Romans 10:13–14

Romans 12:3–5

One of my favourite stories is about a group of children who couldn’t get along while playing in their clubhouse. So they decided to come up with a set of rules by which everyone could abide. Here they are:

Rule #1: Nobody act big!

Rule #2: Nobody act little!

Rule #3: Everybody act medium!

I love that! Sadly too many adults fail to keep the second rule.

Proverbs 6:6–11

Unless you’re living under a rock, you can’t deny the remarkable nature of our technological culture. No longer does a young man or young woman need to trek across the country, secure an expensive residence, and visit a vast university campus in a strange, faraway city in order to begin a college career. Thanks to distance learning, students can start and finish right from the comfort of their parent's basement.